Topic: Involuntary Imagery

Involuntary imagery occurs spontaneously without conscious effort, such as during dreams, reading, flashbacks, or sudden memories.

Some people with aphantasia report experiencing some forms of involuntary imagery (particularly dreams) despite lacking voluntary imagery abilities. This distinction helps researchers understand the different neural pathways involved in imagery generation.

On this page, you’ll find research, personal experiences, and discussions about involuntary imagery and its relationship to aphantasia.

People with aphantasia can’t visualize, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts without imagery can be a whole-body, terrifying experience.
Does aphantasia impact the reading experience? Exploring the relationship between reading preferences and mental imagery.
On rare occasions in the morning, between sleep and awake, when the images from my dreams float behind my eyes, that’s when I revel in what it must be like to “see” imagery.
Ganzflicker is known to elicit the experience of pseudo-hallucinations... But how is it that some people see complex hallucinations such as "old stone castles"?
Discovering I have aphantasia at 46 was a revelation. How one aphantasic's journey led to serendipitous discoveries and unconventional paths.
July 15, 2024
I have bipolar disorder 1 with psychosis. I definitely have aphantasia, but my question is what is the difference between a hallucination and a visualization...
I recently learned of aphantasia , approximately 4 months ago . I was always confused by my artist friends saying "Just put the picture from your head o...
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